Anthony Joshua has returned to the gym for what he described as “mental strength therapy”, weeks after a car crash that claimed the lives of two close members of his backroom team.
Joshua was a passenger in a Lexus SUV involved in a collision with a stationary truck on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on December 29.
Two of his team members, Latif Ayodele and Sina Ghami, died in the crash, while the British boxer sustained minor injuries.
Although his promoter had earlier suggested Joshua could be sidelined for some time, the 36-year-old on Thursday shared footage of himself training, hitting pads with a coach.
He captioned the Instagram video: “Mental Strength Therapy”.
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The accident had triggered speculation over Joshua’s future in the ring, but his promoter, Eddie Hearn, said on Wednesday that the boxer would be given all the time he needs to process the loss.
“I think AJ, as we have seen in the past on boxing-related stuff, is always a brave-face guy, a very positive guy,” Hearn told Sky Sports.
“This is very different to that and I know he will take his time.
“He will need his time physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually before he makes a decision on his future. I do think he will want to return to boxing, but that will be his decision when the time is right.”
The crash occurred while Joshua was on holiday in Nigeria, days after his victory over YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in Miami on December 19.
Ayodele, Joshua’s personal trainer, and Ghami, his strength and conditioning coach, both died at the scene.
Before the tragedy, discussions had resurfaced over a long-anticipated bout between Joshua and Tyson Fury, the former world heavyweight champion who recently came out of retirement.
But Hearn dismissed any immediate talk of a fight, saying: “That is not a conversation that anyone is comfortable having. When the time is right, I believe he will make his decision and you will hear it from him.”
